Revolutionising manufacturing services: How Salesforce and AI drive the next industrial leap

In the age of Industry 4.0, success hinges on delivering intelligent, connected, and customer-centric services. The winners aren’t just those who make quality goods—they are the companies that deliver value long after their products leave the factory.

Salesforce is at the forefront of this transformation. Manufacturing Cloud, one of its core products, blends AI-driven automation with deep industry expertise to redefine how manufacturers operate. If configured properly, it can turn complex manufacturing processes into manageable, connected workflows and guide every decision with real-time data.

From factory floor to field: The rise of AI in manufacturing

With Salesforce Manufacturing Cloud, these disruptions become preventable and easier to fix. Designed specifically for the industry, Manufacturing Cloud unifies sales, service, and operations into a single platform, allowing for predictive maintenance, improved collaboration across departments, and more efficient operations.

The integration of AI, particularly through Agentforce for Manufacturing, can further enhance your ability to identify bottlenecks, optimise processes, and predict equipment failures. Here’s how it works:

Predict equipment failures

AI-driven predictive maintenance identifies potential issues before they escalate, reducing downtime and maintenance costs.

For example, AI-powered sensors can continuously monitor equipment performance and alert you days before a part is likely to fail. The result? Fewer emergency repairs, lower maintenance costs, and a stronger bottom line.

This kind of predictive insight does more than just prevent costly breakdowns. It also helps manufacturers build trust with customers who expect consistent quality and prompt deliveries. Over time, it can reduce operational risk and position your business as a reliable partner, leading to higher revenue.

Optimise inventory management

By analysing historical data and market trends, AI ensures optimal stock levels while minimising waste. With this approach, manufacturers can allocate resources more efficiently and meet customer demands at all times.

AI agents are capable of predicting future demand with greater accuracy than statistical models and other traditional forecasting methods. Their insights enable manufacturing companies to proactively adjust inventory levels and prevent issues like overstocking or understocking.

Enhance quality control

Real-time data analysis detects anomalies in production, ensuring consistent product quality and reducing defects. This aspect alone can streamline compliance, improve customer satisfaction, and lower costs.

Say you’re an industrial parts supplier specialised in components for heavy machinery. If a batch shows even slight defects, the customer could halt production.

By detecting anomalies in real time, AI agents empower your team to intervene before shipments go out. Not only does this approach reduce the risk of recalls, but it can also strengthen client relationships and safeguard your reputation.

Streamline processes for higher efficiency

Factories generate massive amounts of data from production equipment, but most of it goes unused. AI can process this data in real-time to identify inefficiencies, from energy waste to operational bottlenecks.

In response, manufacturers can adjust their workflows, optimise machine settings, or adopt new technologies. They may also leverage AI-generated insights to simulate “what-if” scenarios, such as increasing line speed, and experiment while keeping risks low. The results are measurable: higher throughput, lower costs, and improved efficiency.

Increase sustainability

In 2024, Danish consultancy and software company NTI Group conducted a survey of 656 professionals, 225 of whom worked in the manufacturing industry. Their responses indicated that:

• The demand for more sustainable products is twice as high in the Nordics (49%) compared to the rest of Europe (25%).
• Large companies (50+ employees) are nearly twice as likely to experience heightened demand for sustainable products and projects compared to smaller firms.
• 22% of large enterprises and 38% of small businesses are not prepared to comply with upcoming EU sustainability regulations and legislation.
• Fewer than one in 10 European manufacturing companies feel adequately prepared to manage these regulations.

Manufacturers are under increasing pressure to lower their carbon footprint while maintaining profitability—and that’s another area where AI can help.

AI algorithms analyse real-time energy usage across facilities and machines, allowing them to detect patterns linked to inefficiencies. For example, they may reveal subtle correlations between production settings and energy spikes.

Manufacturers can also use AI to create more sustainable products and reduce raw material usage. By analysing factors like product lifecycle data and customer preferences, AI can recommend design improvements, alternative materials, or production methods that minimise waste without sacrificing quality.

Achieve greater supply chain transparency

By using data from IoT sensors, ERP systems, and partner networks, AI can monitor the flow of materials across the entire supply chain. Based on this data, it can track shipments in real time, measure emissions, and monitor suppliers’ compliance with sustainability standards.

Manufacturers who deploy AI to achieve a unified view of the supply chain can anticipate disruptions earlier on. They are also more likely to remain compliant and achieve their sustainability goals, which can strengthen customer trust.

Improve process efficiency and accuracy

Industrial robots have been around for decades, but thanks to AI, they are now smarter and more efficient than ever before. They can interpret operational data, adapt on the fly, and make decisions aimed at improving efficiency and output.

Some robots are fully automated, while others assist employees. In either case, they can reduce human error and contribute to safer, more productive operations.

Empower your employees

AI can act as an extension of your team, automating routine tasks, such as quality checks. For example, instead of manually inspecting hundreds of components, workers can use AI to detect defects and then implement corrective measures.

Moreover, this technology plays a key role in worker safety and can prevent accidents. Not only does it enable real-time hazard detection, but it can also predict potential risks.

Agentforce: The digital workforce revolution

Agentforce introduces a new paradigm where AI agents collaborate seamlessly with human teams. These autonomous agents act as a digital extension of your workforce, automating tedious tasks and simplifying complex operations.

Here’s what that looks like in practice:

• Automate routine tasks: From scheduling service appointments to sending follow-up emails, AI handles repetitive tasks, allowing human workers to focus on strategic, high-value initiatives. This feature also allows manufacturing companies to cut overhead costs and reduce human error.
• Provide real-time insights: AI agents analyse vast amounts of data to deliver actionable insights, aiding in decision-making and strategic planning. For instance, if there’s a sudden increase in warranty claims in a particular region, they will flag the anomaly so your team can look into it and prevent it from escalating.
• Enhance customer interactions: By accessing comprehensive customer data, AI ensures personalised and timely responses, enhancing customer satisfaction. When a distributor calls about a late shipment, the AI agent doesn’t just pull order numbers—it also surfaces contract terms, purchase history, and service preferences. That way, your human rep can respond with context instead of giving a generic answer.

• Optimise product and service design: AI agents can delve into customer preferences, usage patterns, and market trends to help manufacturers create better products and improve digital services. This can lead to faster adoption, increased revenue, and greater brand loyalty.
• Boost sales: Sales and marketing teams can leverage AI to drive conversions. Agentforce agents are capable of automating quote generation, managing sales agreements, and optimising campaign performance, helping manufacturers close more deals.

While Agentforce can be used as a standalone product, it delivers more value when paired with Salesforce Manufacturing Cloud, Service Cloud, and related services. Together, these technologies unify customer, product, and asset data across the entire value chain, allowing for deeper insights.

Create a unified service experience

Like many other industries, manufacturing has long struggled with siloed data: sales and marketing teams know one thing, customer service teams know another, and so on. The solution? Use Agentforce along with Salesforce Service Cloud and Data Cloud to create a single source of truth and achieve the following:

• Seamless collaboration: AI agents and human reps work together, ensuring efficient ticket resolution across all channels. Whether a customer reaches out via live chat, email, phone, or social media, AI ensures every human agent has the same up-to-date information. This can boost efficiency while improving average resolution time, tickets solved per hour, customer satisfaction score, and other KPIs.

• Proactive support: Agentforce anticipates customers’ needs, offering solutions before issues arise—and thereby enhancing the overall service experience. For instance, a manufacturer of industrial compressors can use AI to track usage data from connected equipment. If the system predicts that a customer’s unit will soon require filter replacement, it can automatically notify the service team.

• Data-driven decisions: Unified data platforms enable consistent and informed interactions, fostering trust and loyalty among customers. Manufacturers gain a 360-degree view of their operations, allowing them to connect the dots (e.g., how downtime affects sales) and make smarter decisions.

This technology is truly remarkable and has the potential to transform your operations, but first, it must be configured optimally. That’s where Fluido, a leading Salesforce Summit Consulting Partner, comes in.

After a thorough analysis, Fluido’s experts can recommend and implement solutions that support your workflows. For example, they can move your manufacturing processes to the cloud, build custom AI agents for core activities like marketing and sales, and help you get the most out of your data.

The future is now: Embrace AI in manufacturing

As AI continues to evolve, its role in manufacturing will only grow. By embracing these changes, industry players can unlock smarter, more adaptive business models and remain competitive. The question is, are you ready to lead the charge?

Don’t wait to be left behind. Team up with Fluido to future-proof your business through Salesforce’s AI solutions, or download our eBook, “The Future is AI: Modern and Personalised CX for Manufacturing,” to learn more.